Moneague student wins J Wray & Nephew social media competition

BRACO, Trelawny — When Moneague College student Devon Williams Jr entered J Wray and Nephew's social media competition for Father's Day earlier this year, he was fixated on winning a weekend for himself and family to relax at the Melia Braco Village in Trelawny.

The competition, which was geared towards the company's followers on their Instagram page, tasked participants with crafting creative video messages to express why they loved their father.

It was an honour for the tertiary level student, who is a drummer, with the assistance of his sister, Ramona, to compose a song and video venerating their beloved dad, Devon Williams Sr, pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church at Bagnold Spring in St Mary.

But the siblings, who are members of a close-knit Christian family from St Mary, could not leave their deceased brother, Constable Sheldon Williams out of the video.

Constable Williams was shot dead by his colleagues at the Ocho Rios Police Station on August 29, 2010 in what the police described as a shoot-out.

The cop was reportedly arrested by his colleagues after he allegedly gave a gun salute at a boat party at sea off the St Ann coast. In the aftermath, the police claim that Williams grabbed his licensed firearm and fled the Ocho Rios Police Station with them in tow.

Some angry residents claimed he was shot in cold blood; the police on the other hand, claimed that one of the cops who was chasing Williams was shot and injured.

The J Wray and Nephew competition received several entries, but young Williams' video, with the most likes was ultimately chosen as the winner.

However, a day after he copped the top prize, his grandfather, Henry Williams, who was the bishop of the Foursquare Gospel Church, passed on.

The selfless youngster then decided that it would be good if his grieving grandmother, Carmen Williams could spend the weekend at the Trelawny hotel in his place.

“As much as I would want to go, I preferred that she went instead and enjoy herself and take her mind off the passing of grandfather,” Williams Jr told the Jamaica Observer during a telephone interview.

He noted that his sister, Ramona who was the person who first brought his attention to the competition, should be praised for initiating their participation.

Meanwhile the Williams family, which checked into the hotel Friday evening, heaped heavy praises on Devon Jr for his kind gesture.

“It is bittersweet for me, because with Mamma (mother-in-law) here she's been through so much over the past couple of weeks, and I am seeing the smile on her face now that I haven't seen in the past few weeks. Its awesome!”

Meanwhile, her husband was equally proud of their son. He explained that he has tried to inculcate Christian principles into his children from an early age and implored fathers to play an active role in the lives of their children.

“Train the child in the way he should grow. Be a role model. Good to know he (son) is following the footsteps,” the clergyman said.

He added: “For other fathers, be present at all times in the lives of your children. Be there for them.”

Meanwhile, Ramona, like her parents and grandmother, heaped praises on J Wray and Nephew for the opportunity, and to the staff of Melia Braco for their outstanding service.